Conditions on Representation and Romance Syntax

Two different theories within generative grammar are examined with a fragment of Romance syntax. The comparison is between the analysis of French "causative" constructions (make, let, etc) in R. Kayne's influential French Syntax (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1975) & L. Burzio's analysis ("Intransitive Verbs and Italian Auxiliaries," PhD dissertation, Massachusetts Instit of Technology, 1981) of the identical Italian constructions, & "restructuring" constructions (Vs of the type want, begin, continue, & others) which, like causative constructions, appear to involve a close syntactic relation between a main V & a dependent V. Kayne uses assumptions predominant in the late 1960s & early 1970s. Burzio uses those predominant at the present time. The earlier framework employs conditions on the application of syntactic rules, in particular conditions on the order of rule application. The current framework employs conditions on the derived syntactic configuration, & no conditions on rules. Burzio's contention is that Kayne's analysis, although adequate & apparently enlightening over the range of facts it considers, would fail to extend to the restructuring constructions, & that any attempt to extend it would result in paradoxes. Burzio concludes that both his own analysis & the current framework are empirically superior to the earlier analysis & theoretical framework. The discussion considers the behavior, within causative & restructuring constructions, of various types of complements, such as passive & reflexive. 49 References. Modified AA